NWA (WCW) Power Hour (August 25, 1989)

 

Original Airdate: August 25, 1989 (taped August 15)

From Cleveland, Ohio; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jim Cornette

Brian Pillman v Jerry Price: You know it’s Jim Ross on commentary because he immediately starts talking about the Super Bowl. Despite it being August. And in no way relevant to this match. Cutting that shit out must have been killing him when he moved to the WWF a few years later. Pillman with a springboard flying clothesline at 2:49. ¼*

Gordon Solie is in the studio for Wrestling News Network. Big news this week: some mystery guy only known as ‘Z-Man’ is on his way into the promotion. Well, that could be literally anybody! I think we should all get extremely excited about this one. Also, apparently Mike Tyson is negotiating (with Teddy Long!) to come in and fight a wrestler. Yeah, as if Mike Tyson doing a wrestling crossover would draw

Tommy Rich v Cuban Assassin: A chyron comes on the screen letting us know that this was ‘recorded earlier.’ As opposed to the rest of this show? Ross also accidentally tells us we’re watching ‘World Championship Wrestling,’ before remembering that, no, that shit comes on tomorrow. This is the Power Hour. Well, it’s a fair mistake, this was ‘recorded earlier,’ Ross probably didn’t know what day it was anyway. Also, because of the drinking. Not all of that whisky goes into the BBQ sauces. Assassin misses a flying splash, allowing Tommy a schoolboy at 9:58. Rich should have gotten a much stronger victory there. ¼*

Terry Funk hosts Funk’s Grill, with guests Norman and Brian Pillman. Brian gets in Funk’s face about threatening to give people haircuts

NWA United States Title Match: Lex Luger v Brad Armstrong: Posturing to start, initially dominated by a cocky Luger, but eventually falling into Armstrong’s favor. Armstrong dropkicks the champion out of the ring, so Lex stalls out there for a bit, looking to break the momentum. Inside, Lex pops him with a closed fist during a rope break, and Luger turnbuckle smashes him to take control. Lex tries to unload in the corner, but Brad responds in kind, and corner whips the champion. Luger rebounds into a backdrop, and Brad is ready with an armdrag into an armbar when Lex pops back up. Armstrong holds it through multiple escape attempts, but Luger finally manages to punch him for a break. They criss cross, and Armstrong is fast enough to tag him with a clothesline, and Brad goes back to the armbar. Luger quickly escapes this time, and a corner whip follows, but a charge in misses. That allows Armstrong a schoolboy for two, and he goes back to the armbar. Lex escapes, but his pure strength has been diminished now. He tries a turnbuckle smash, but Brad reverses, and dives with a missile dropkick for two. Armstrong keeps coming with a backdrop and a kneelift, but a corner whip backfires when Lex rebounds with a big clothesline. Luger drops him across the top rope to knock the challenger properly silly, and Luger stays on him with a few pointed elbowdrops for two. Lex is great here, chewing out the referee about the count with great delivery. That allows Armstrong to recover with a small package for two, but Lex cuts him off with another clothesline. Brad throws some jabs, but Lex dumps him to the outside to shake him off - only for Armstrong to come back with a slingshot sunset flip for two. Luger quickly grounds him in a chinlock to prevent a comeback from building, and a sidewalk slam gets the champion two. A bodyslam leads to a dive, but Armstrong slams him off the top before he can leap. That allows Armstrong to properly mount a comeback, but a 2nd rope bodypress gets caught in a powerslam. Luger with another one, so Armstrong throws the leg in the ropes at two, but Lex pulls it off before the referee can see, and that’s the pin at 13:49. Solid work here, with good storytelling, and nice pacing. ***

The weeks Wrestler of the Week is both Steiner Brothers, somehow

BUExperience: They were on a roll during this period.